How to Donate Time, Money or Food to Those in Need Around the Area

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You can donate non-perishable food items and money to Food 4 Families throughout the day on Monday, Nov. 21 at the Verizon Center. You can also stop by participating Allstate offices to make donations of non-perishable food, or make a monetary donation online here.

Howard University’s Radio station WHUR-FM is sponsoring their annual Food 2 Feed Radioathon. Stop by the Old Post Office Pavilion (12th Street and Pennsylvania Ave. NW) this Thursday, Nov. 17 to drop off non-perishable food or make a donation. One hundred percent of monetary donations will go toward purchasing $50 Giant gift cards to be given out along with the food gathered by the Capitsl Area Food Bank. You can also donate online here. Nov. 17, 6 a.m.-6 p.m.

Kick off your Thanksgiving with this year for the 10th Annual Thanksgiving Day Trot for Hunger, a 5K run and walk hosted by So Others May Eat (SOME). Kiddos are welcome to participate too in the Little Turkey One-Mile Fun Run. Register here. Nov. 24, run 9 a.m.; kids' event 8:30 a.m. Registration $23 until Nov. 15; $25 after.

Meal delivery charity Food and Friends has been sponsoring their Slice of Life pie sale all month, and they need volunteers to help with pie distribution on Tuesday, Nov. 22. Duties include setting up stations and helping customers. Bonus: You get a free T-shirt, and maybe you’ll get a slice of pie out of it too. Sign up here. Nov. 24; shifts run from 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m.

Food and Friends also needs drivers to help with turkey box deliveries. Schedules are super flexible and based on the volunteers' availability. Turkey boxes need to be delivered earlier rather than later so those who receive them can defrost the contents in time for Turkey Day. Some drivers are also needed for Thanksgiving Day deliveries. Drivers will sign up for two or three clients living in D.C., Maryland or Virginia and receive a complete turkey dinner for four people. For this commitment there are four time slots: 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and noon. Sign up here.

Driving ain't your thing? Food and Friends is also looking for food preparation assistants for the week to work in the kitchen and packing groceries. You can volunteer in two-hour shifts beginning at 8 a.m., 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Nov. 22 and 23. Meal assembly helpers are needed for Thanksgiving Day, too, to pack up meals and get them out the door. Or you can volunteer as a Food and Friends Thanksgiving Pilgrim. The "pilgrims" greet, load delivery bags and help with traffic. Sign up here for these various positions.

Bread for the City is aiming to provide 9/000 low-income D.C. families with a holiday meal. Donate to their Holiday Helpings program -- $28.85 provides a meal for a family of four.